Important YouTube Gear You Need For Starting A YouTube Channel – 5 Key Items
Are you considering starting a YouTube channel and pursuing a career as a YouTuber? If you want to create content and publish videos to a YouTube Channel, you’ll need the correct YouTube Gear to make high-quality videos that will attract visitors and subscribers.
If you look at your current vlogging equipment, you might already have everything you need to start producing high-quality material right now.
While filming YouTube videos with a smartphone is a viable choice for getting started, if you’re serious about becoming a YouTuber, you’ll need higher-quality equipment, such as a mirrorless or DSLR camera, to give your videos the wow factor that draws in viewers.
However, producing high-quality YouTube videos necessitates more than just high-quality cameras; it also necessitates extra technology and software for YouTubers to create high-quality material.
Finding the correct filmmaking equipment for YouTube videos, on the other hand, can be difficult, especially when there are so many handy tools on the market today to help you get the job done right.
Finding the right gear, however, can be a fun and educational experience with a little research.
There is a lot of advise regarding vlogging and filmmaking on this blogging platform, but in this piece, we’re going to look at some filmmaking hardware and software that every YouTuber should be aware of.
Here you will find essential YouTube equipment and other pieces of hardware to get started with that will become extremely useful accessories as you become a full-time YouTuber.
Related Article: How to Start a YouTube Channel (Complete Guide)
YouTube Gear You Need For Starting A YouTube Channel
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Camera options
As a part-time filmmaker, I’ve always believed that having the correct camera is essential for content development. While the latest smartphones can capture fantastic film, having the correct camera allows videographers more creative control over the final product.
When it comes to a dedicated video camera for your YouTube Gear, you’ll want something that can record in full HD or 4K. However, your budget will play a role in this decision. If you have the budget, I recommend the lightweight Sony A7 III mirrorless camera or the Canon 1D-X Mark II DSLR for creating a killer YouTube Studio. YouTubers who perform trip vlogs or product review vlogs love both of these professional cameras.
If you have a mid-sized budget, I recommend checking out the Canon 80D if you want a DSLR and the Sony A6400 if you’re going for mirrorless. For those of you who are operating on a tight budget, the best mirrorless option would be the Canon M50 and the best DSLR camera is Canon Rebel T8i. Both give excellent bang for a relatively low buck.
Why am I recommending a DSLR or a mirrorless camera for your YouTube equipment? The reason for this is that these types of cameras record significantly more visual data than smartphones.
What does this mean for videographers on YouTube and elsewhere? These cameras will make it easy to capture the greatest image quality with the lighting available and to edit the films fast before exporting in several formats, since you will be doing the editing and lighting yourself. With smartphone footage, this is a rather time-consuming process.
First, take a look at DSLR and mirrorless cameras, as there are many options at affordable prices. But, if you want, you can also check out newer webcams or GoPro-type cameras, especially if you just want to do basic vlogging and don’t want too much YouTube Gear to get started.
Related Article: 5 Great Affordable Live Streaming Cameras
Audio recorders & microphones
Video material can be made or broken by the quality of the audio. Viewers can tolerate a little out of focus here and there, but if they can’t hear your audio, they’ll quickly switch to another clip.
Even while today’s smartphones can combine video and audio in one package, and certain DSLR and mirrorless cameras can do the same, these devices can’t capture the sound you need to create amazing audio. To make your voice stand out from the crowd, you’ll need an external audio recorder and microphone for your YouTube videos.
While I’m not suggesting that you abandon your smartphone’s audio entirely, there are a number of affordable options for both recorders and microphones for those who want to make their audio stand out.
For a portable audio recorder option, I suggest the Zoom brand as they have some of the best portable, high-quality audio recorders on the market for YouTube Gear.
Zoom’s H4 and H6 series units are favored choices for videographers and vloggers. Another good audio recorder brand is Tascam, and its DR- 40X and DR-100 MKIII recorders are also extremely popular with filmmakers.
These recorders have excellent built-in microphones that allow users to have greater control over the sound of the audio than is possible with smartphones. Furthermore, these audio recorders have external microphone inputs, allowing you to use external microphones if necessary.
These recorders also include USB ports, allowing filmmakers and content creators to easily transfer files to their computers for editing.
There are a variety of microphone options available to assist you record the best sound possible.
The audio recorders mentioned above allow you to record sound using the built-in mics, but there are other options that you should consider for those on the go or recording audio for film.
On-camera microphones are a great option for those YouTubers looking for a compact solution, that you mount to the top of the camera body and pointed directionally at the subject you need to record audio from.
This YouTube Gear option works well for most people, but for those looking to eliminate background noise from external noise surrounding a subject, add a lavalier (or, lav) microphone. Lav mics are small microphones fixed to a person’s shirt near their mouth, that can be connected by wires or wireless to your audio recorder to record clear audio.
Another option is boom microphones, which are fixed to a boom pole, or studio microphones, that is hidden from the video frame to get clear audio without having to mic up each time like a lav microphone.
Related Article: Best Microphones For YouTube Vlogging – 2021
Lighting kits
Once you have figured out your camera and audio equipment for your YouTube gear, the next step should be to find the right lighting kit.
First I should let you know that it is possible to shoot your video content without lighting kits. You can shoot without lighting gear if the location you are shooting at has great natural lighting, add you adjust the camera’s shutter speed, lens aperture, and ISO features to capture that light and make a good image. But, having a lighting kit will give you more control over how your footage looks.
If you are looking at lighting kits for your YouTube Gear, you can find lighting kits for all budgets.
Read more >>> Best Budget Lighting Kit Ideas Under 150 Dollars
But if you are looking to build a lighting kit for your YouTube Gear, ideally you will want a key light, which is used to light faces and objects; a fill light, which is used to light shadowy areas; and a backlight, which is used to light backgrounds like walls.
Neewer makes really budget-friendly light kits. The Neewer 4-Light Kit is also a great budget option for YouTubers. This 4-Light Kit with Background Support System from Neewer contains everything you’ll need to get up and running shooting portraits, catalogs, and e-commerce products using still or video imaging.
Another option is to get a ring lighting rig. A ring light is a circular fixture that usually includes a tripod, that creates a flat, even light on faces. This is popular with YouTubers whose work focuses on faces, like makeup tutorials. Smartphones, DSLR, and mirrorless cameras are mounted in the middle of the light ring, making it easy to set up and use.
Related Article: Film Lighting 101 – Comprehensive Guide To Understanding Film Lighting
Headphones & studio monitors
Studio monitors that allow you to better listen to your audio levels in editing are a nice addition to your YouTube gear kit for post-production. While studio monitors are not required for a beginner YouTuber, a good pair of headphones that perform well in the audio and video editing processes can suffice.
Today’s over-the-ear headphones come in a variety of price ranges. It’s up to you to decide which headphones sound the best for the money you have available.
There are a variety of microphone options available to assist you record the best sound possible.
But, if you don’t know where to start, consider the Senal SMH-1000 Professional Field and Studio Monitor Headphones, which are great for the beginner content creator on a budget. Other Studio Monitor Headphone brands like Audio-Technica, Shure, and Sennheiser all offer great headphones and have budget options as well.
If you really want studio monitors for your home studio, there is a range of options to choose from for all budgets. KRK, Yamaha, PreSonus, JBL, and Mackie all make great studio monitors for every type of budget. The best thing is studio monitors are that they are not too big to take over a whole room and produce the sound you need.
Related Article: How To Monetize Your YouTube Channel – 5+ Effective Strategies
YouTube Gear Equipment Summary
Start with your priorities when making a list for your YouTuber Gear setup, and work your way out from there.
The first advice for assembling your YouTube equipment kit is to consider the best camera to purchase within your budget, then go on to the next most critical piece of equipment. If you don’t already have one, I recommend investing in one because it will improve the aesthetic of your films.
Then, either with a built-in microphone or an external microphone, choose a suitable audio recorder. Finally, invest in a good set of headphones and a set of low-cost studio monitors (it’s a good idea to have both).
You may start constructing your YouTube channel once you have all of the necessary YouTube equipment. Just remember to have fun with your gear and keep learning as you go, because you never know where your hard work may lead you.
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About the author: Trent (IMDB | Youtube) has spent 10+ years working on an assortment of film and television projects. He writes about his experiences to help (and amuse) others. If he’s not working, he’s either traveling, reading or writing about travel/film, or planning travel/film projects.
